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This time of the year, I dive into Concord grapes … but wait! There’s a variety called the Coronation grape that rivals the native-Ontario Concord.

Sovereign Coronation grapes have the same crispness, the same amazing colour, and much the same sweet-tartness as the traditional Concord.

The difference is … Coronation grapes don’t have seeds.

Conceived and originally produced in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley in the 1970s, the Coronation began appearing more regularly in Niagara a decade or so ago. I’ve eaten them regularly each year, and they are fabulous.

Today, Ontario harvests nearly 3,000 tons of these intensely flavoured grapes.

A cross between native North American varieties Patricia and Himrod (two improbable but memorable names), we can take advantage of the Coronation grape now because it just happens to ripen in late August and bit earlier than other more traditional varieties.

It has a fairly thick skin and a headier taste than most grapes, and the fact that it is seedless makes it a great grape for eating and for making jams, jellies, pies, and sauces.

The Coronation grape is indeed regal … but get some soon because they won’t be around once September is gone.

Check out my latest post Delicious Coronation grapes from AndrewCoppolino.com.

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I had a great time (re)launching The Night Girl at Words Worth Books today. This bookstore has been a tireless champion of local writers and is truly a boon to the community. For today's celebration, they gave me a table with an excellent display of my books, while I brought in a very nice cake from the Cake Box in Kitchener. I gave my reading, cut the cake, and stayed on for a while to engage other customers. It's amazing how the presence of free cake makes that easier.

A lot of people complimented the book on its cover (thanks Bibliofic!), and the reading went over very well. Thanks to Ed Willett at Shadowpaw for taking this book on, giving it Canadian spelling and a new lease on life, thanks to Words Worth Books for making me feel welcome and giving my launch a great boost, and thanks to everybody who came out and shared time with me.

Next up is Toronto. Look for me at Bakka-Phoenix Books at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, and I'll be bringing more cake!

A modern network scanner for GNOME.

Python 91 Updated Aug 31

Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a simple plug in formula to determine how many decades, centuries or millennia before all the free phase and residual DNAPL are finally, fully dissolved. Keep in mind the term DNAPL can also be referred to as "free phase" DNAPL when it has pooled on some sort of low permeability surface such as clay or even a silt aquitard. The term "residual" DNAPL refers more to long strings of DNAPL or even simply separated areas of pore spaces with the water in the pore spaces replaced with tiny chlorobenzene droplets. This residual DNAPL is also a long term source area of eventually dissolved chlorobenzene. 

While concentrations of chlorobenzene in the groundwater can be low such as 100, 200 or even a thousand parts per billion (ppb.) nevertheless they are all greater than the Ontario Drinking Water Standard (ODWS) for  chlorobenzene of 80 ppb.. Nearer to the DNAPL source areas concentrations however can exceed 1% of the Solubility of chlorobenzene in water which could be as high as 4,300 ppb in either pure lab water or less in already contaminated groundwater. 

I expect that some sort of mathematical calculations showing the total number of kilograms of  chlorobenzene dissolved within the aquifer is possible. That quantity could then be compared to the thousands upon thousands of gallons of chlorobenzene discharged by Uniroyal into the natural environment. Of course please don't waste my time with any calculations whatsoever done by Lanxess or GHD personnel. "You can't fool all the people all the time.".

Purchasing the first house is both exciting and overwhelming. Being a first-time home buyer, you are entering a world of opportunities and obligations. This milestone can be a confident, informed, and financially sound decision with the proper guidance.

Homeownership is not merely a dream to many Canadians, particularly those in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The region is rapidly expanding, has a variety of housing opportunities, and offers a balance between city and suburban life.

This first-time home buyer guide is designed to help people who are willing to begin their adventure in one of the most promising regions of Ontario. You will have a complete roadmap to follow and move forward with confidence, with the help of local experts—The Deutschmann Team.

As a first-time home buyer in Canada, you are making your first entry into the real estate market as an individual, a couple, or a family. The process should be understood to make intelligent decisions and prevent expensive errors.

The Canada Revenue Agency defines you as a first-time home buyer when you have not owned a home during the current year or the four previous calendar years. It implies that you might qualify even if you owned property previously under certain circumstances.

The Canadian government provides several programs for first-time house buyers:

• First Home Savings Account (FHSA): This is a tax-free savings account that enables you to save up to $40,000.
• Home Buyers Plan (HBP): You can withdraw up to $60,000 of your RRSPs to put toward your home.

Being aware of the programs that you qualify for can save you thousands and make the financial strain of purchasing your first home much easier.

Every buying experience is unique, yet some tried and true tactics can assist any first-time house buyer to make more informed, confident decisions. These are some practical tips for the Waterloo Region first-time home buyer market.

Have your mortgage pre-approval before you start looking at listings or visiting open houses. It makes you understand your purchasing power, and it sends a message to sellers that you are a serious buyer.

Pre-approval also avoids disappointment in the future. You can become infatuated with a property that is outside of your approved range, and this results in emotional decisions, not financial ones.

It’s not just about the down payment. One of the most frequent errors that many first-time house buyersmake is underestimating the closing costs, which can be between 1.5 and 4 percent of the home’s price. These can be:

• Legal fees
• Land transfer taxes
• Inspection and appraisal charges
• Title insurance and property insurance

When purchasing a condo or townhouse, remember the monthly maintenance fees. An intelligent budgeting strategy is essential—and that is something The Deutschmann Team can assist you with.

Using the assistance programs available can be a tremendous help to you. As stated above, the FHSA and HBP are good tax-free or deferred plans to assist you in financing your purchase.

In addition, watch out for provincial rebates and city-specific grants. They can be used to cover legal expenses, pay taxes, or assist with down payments.

It is tempting to think about your immediate needs, but the most appropriate decision is the one that will balance your current lifestyle and the value of tomorrow. Are you intending to expand your family or upgrade in the future? 

The desire tobuy a home in Kitcheneror Waterloo attracts many people to newer developments that are affordable and have future potential.

This is one step that should never be skipped, no matter how attractive a home may appear. A check can expose underlying issues such as mould, old wiring, or structural damage.

It also provides you with bargaining power, particularly in competitive markets such as theKitchener-Waterloo housing market. You can ask to have repairs done or negotiate the price based on findings.

It is normal to fall in love with a house, but it is easy to make an emotional decision that you will regret. Remain within your budget. In case a bidding war drives the price up, you should be ready to walk away.

First-timers usually fall into the trap of attempting to win a property, instead of asking themselves whether it is the right long-term decision.

They have to be careful not to try to pursue the ideal home, but have to compromise. Focus on what is most important to you, such as the number of bedrooms, proximity to transit, or a backyard, rather than on the extras, such as finished basements or granite countertops.

Thetop real estate agents in Kitchener-Waterloo will assist you to sieve the listings according to your real needs instead of wasting time and energy.

The neighbourhood you select can be the difference between a good and a bad experience as a homeowner. The Kitchener-Waterloo housing markethas a variety of communities with their advantages.

When you want to purchase a home in Kitchener, you can think of such areas as Huron Park or Doon South. These provide newer developments with access to good schools, parks, and highway connectivity.

Downtown Kitchener is more urban, and condos and loft-style homes are more appropriate for young professionals or couples without children.

Laurelwood, Vista Hills, and Eastbridge are the best choices for a Waterloo first-time home buyer. These neighbourhoods are family-oriented, near good schools, and have easy access to public transportation.

The University District is more investor-intensive, but as a first-time home buyer in Canada, it may be a good place to start.

The Kitchener-Waterloo housing market is competitive and balanced. But according to WOWA, “In Kitchener-Waterloo, benchmark prices were down 1.2% over the past month.”

It is all about timing and preparation—particularly in a fast-moving listing. That is where The Deutschmann Team adds value: helping you take action without rushing into decisions.

The first time buying a home can be a daunting experience. This is why it makes all the difference when you have a local expert you can trust. An experienced agent not only makes the process easier but also assists you in making wiser, quicker, and more economically viable decisions.

This is how real estate agents in Kitchener-Waterloo can help you:

• New Listing Alerts: In a competitive market, timing is everything. A good agent can set you up with instant alerts, so you’ll know the moment a home that matches your criteria hits the market—keeping you a step ahead.
• Local Market Insights: It takes experience to understand trends, price points, and neighbourhood dynamics. A local agent assists you in making sense of it all.
• Offer Strategy: You may be in a bidding war or dealing with a motivated seller, but the strategy of your agent can either make or break the deal.
• Contract and Legal Advice: From conditions to clauses, purchasing a home is a paperwork process that requires precision and legal accuracy.
• Professional Connections: The most competent agents have a network of mortgage brokers, inspectors, and lawyers who are willing to assist you when you need them.

By working with The Deutschmann Team, you are not only getting a representative, but a partner with strong ties to the Kitchener-Waterloo community. They can be a game-changer with their knowledge of what a first-time house buyer needs.

There are so many agents out there, and it is challenging to select the right one. To a first-time entrant, the stakes are even higher, since every decision matters.

Here’s what to look for in the best realtor in Kitchener-Waterloo:

• First-Time Buyer Experience: You need a person who knows the learning curve and is patient enough to take you through every step.
• Proven Track Record: Seek reviews, testimonials, and previous sales. A consistent history of satisfied clients is a green flag.
• Local Expertise: TheKitchener-Waterloo real estate listings are dynamic. Your agent must be aware of what is new, what is worth watching, and what to avoid.
• Transparent Communication: You must not be left in the dark. The right agent will be proactive, transparent, and responsive.
• Honest Advice: The best real estate agents in Kitchener-Waterloo will not only attempt to sell you a property quickly, but will make sure it is the right one.
• No Pressure Techniques: You should feel supported, not rushed.

The Deutschmann Team is one of the top real estate agents in Kitchener-Waterloo because we view our clients as a long-term relationship, not just a one-time transaction.

Being a first-time home buyer is one of the most important financial decisions in life. However, it can also be one of the most rewarding with proper planning, reliable resources, and professional advice.

Begin with learning the process, establishing a strong financial base, and knowing what is important to you. Take advantage of the first-time home buyer programs available in Canada, and be realistic about what you can afford- without compromising your long-term objectives.

It is equally important to select the right real estate partner. When you want to buy a home in Kitchener or buy a home in Waterloo, the experience and commitment of your agent will have a direct influence on your process.

Contact us today, and The Deutschmann Team will be here to guide, educate, and help you through your first showing to the day you have the keys to your new home.

The post First-Time Home Buyer’s Guide: Kitchener-Waterloo Edition appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

I think that I recently mentioned the also deceptive comment from a GHD operative (consultant) that CHLOROBENZENE DOES NOT EQUAL DNAPL. Boy is there some semantics and word twisting going on there. I do believe that the chlorobenzene plume under part of Elmira is not DNAPL.  It is the totally expected slow dissolution or dissolving of chlorobenzene DNAPL that was spilled or dumped by Uniroyal Chemical decades ago. Therefore all chlorobenzene in and around Elmira started as DNAPL but the DNAPL now located in saturated soil is very slowly dissolving into groundwater and those dissolved portions have changed from Non Aqueous Phase to an Aqueous (i.e. water) Phase as they migrate with the groundwater.  

A few quotes may also help to clarify. " The dissolved portion of chlorobenzene moves with the groundwater, while the larger, undissolved liquid portion will sink and can persist in the subsurface." As well there is the following:  "The adsorbed chlorobenzene in the vadose (unsaturated) and saturated zone will take a long time to disappear, liberating contamination in either the gaseous or dissolved state. The resulting plumes (gaseous or dissolved) will be relatively small in size." Finally "Chlorinated solvents have low solubility in water and are denser than water, causing them to sink and accumulate in the subsurface as DNAPLs.".   

For me these quotes from professional and academic sources published on line put things in perspective. Firstly it is clear that pump & treat remediation is plainly the cheapest and least effective  method of remediating chlorinated solvents under Elmira. This was a quote from Dave Belanger of CH2MHILL way back in the 1990s on behalf of the Region of Waterloo. Secondly we were deceived and lied to regarding chlorobenzene leaving the Uniroyal site PRIOR to dissolving in the groundwater. Serious evidence of free phase DNAPL has been found in two locations off the Uniroyal site over the years namely by the Howard St. Water Tower (OW57-32R) as well as on the Nutrite property. Since June 19/25 Jesse Wright of Arcadis has stated that there are another approximate half dozen locations of chlorobenzene DNAPL south-west of the Uniroyal site near First St, Union St. and Howard Ave.

This chlorobenzene DNAPL carried Dioxins and DDT plus more with it and is to this day slowly dissolving into the Elmira Aquifers. This will continue for at least decades more maybe even centuries if you examine the Montrose, California subsurface chlorobenzene and DDT mixture.  

Our authorities have been dishonest and complicit. None of them can be in charge of any new cleanups!

The first step was to figure out where my cloud bill was ballooning. AWS, Azure, and GCP all provide cost breakdown dashboards, but they’re often buried in menus.

I started using AWS Cost Explorer daily, filtered by service, then sorted by “Unblended Cost.” That quickly revealed two culprits: over-provisioned EC2 instances and unused EBS volumes.

# AWS CLI command to find unused EBS volumes
aws ec2 describe-volumes --query "Volumes[?State=='available']"

By identifying these “quiet” expenses, I knew exactly where to focus my efforts.

Manual cleanup is fine for a one-time sweep, but idle resources tend to reappear. I used AWS Instance Scheduler to automatically stop non-critical instances at night and restart them in the morning.

No extra code, just configuration in CloudFormation.

Resources:
  InstanceScheduler:
    Type: AWS::CloudFormation::Stack
    Properties:
      TemplateURL: s3.amazonaws.com/solutions-reference/instance-scheduler/latest/instance-scheduler.template

This instantly cut my EC2 costs by 25%.

Instead of paying full price for instances I knew I’d use long-term, I committed to a Compute Savings Plan.

Savings Plans beat Reserved Instances for flexibility because they apply to any instance family, region, or OS.

For workloads that ran 24/7, this gave me a 30–40% discount without changing a single app configuration.

Some workloads don’t care if they’re interrupted — think nightly batch processing or background analytics.

I moved these to Spot Instances, which can be up to 90% cheaper than On-Demand.

aws ec2 request-spot-instances --spot-price "0.02" --instance-count 3 --type "one-time" --launch-specification file://spec.json

My data processing pipeline costs dropped from $60/day to $8/day.

Most teams set auto-scaling up policies and forget to configure scale down rules aggressively.

I changed thresholds so that services scale down faster during low-traffic windows, keeping capacity minimal until traffic spikes.

For example, lowering the cooldown from 10 minutes to 2 minutes saved an extra 8–10% in compute costs.

Old backups and logs were eating up terabytes in S3. Instead of deleting them, I moved them to cheaper storage tiers like Glacier.

aws s3api put-bucket-lifecycle-configuration --bucket my-bucket --lifecycle-configuration file://lifecycle.json

This kept compliance happy and storage costs low.

By merging smaller accounts into AWS Organizations and enabling Consolidated Billing, I unlocked bulk discounts automatically.

No engineering work — just organizational cleanup.

Optimizing cloud costs doesn’t have to mean rewriting your entire system or building custom tooling.
In my case, I used a mix of AWS-native features, billing visibility, and automation tools — without touching the application code at all.

The result? My monthly bill dropped by 40%, freeing up budget for features that actually matter.

How I Cut My Cloud Costs by 40% Without Touching a Single Line of Code was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When I first started tinkering with AI, most of what I built looked like quick hacks, messy Python scripts, half-documented notebooks, and experiments that only worked if I remembered the right arguments. But little by little, those prototypes started asking for more: more structure, more reliability, and more thought about how others would actually use them. That’s when my “AI experiments” turned into AI systems.

The first time I wanted to share one of my tools, I realized nobody else was going to run python script.py --input file.txt. The solution was an API layer. Suddenly, what was once a personal tool became accessible to anyone who could hit an endpoint.

from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel
from transformers import pipeline
app = FastAPI()
summarizer = pipeline("summarization", model="facebook/bart-large-cnn")
class InputText(BaseModel):
    text: str
@app.post("/summarize")
def summarize(data: InputText):
    return {"summary": summarizer(data.text, max_length=100, min_length=25)[0]["summary_text"]}

That small shift — script → service made all the difference.

In theory, everything is just text. In practice, people throw PDFs, audio files, and slides at your system. I learned this while trying to build a lecture summarizer. Handling multiple data formats wasn’t optional; it was survival.

import whisper, fitz
from transformers import pipeline
# Transcribe audio
model = whisper.load_model("small")
result = model.transcribe("lecture.mp3")
# Extract PDF text
doc = fitz.open("slides.pdf")
slides = [page.get_text() for page in doc]
# Summarize combined content
summarizer = pipeline("summarization")
summary = summarizer(result["text"] + "\n".join(slides), max_length=250)[0]["summary_text"]
print(summary)

Scaling meant embracing the chaos of real-world inputs.

When friends tried my tools, they immediately pointed out the problem: “What if it’s wrong?” AI hallucinations can destroy trust instantly. That’s when I started layering in retrieval-based QA forcing the system to ground its answers in documents.

from langchain.chains import RetrievalQA
from langchain.vectorstores import FAISS
from langchain.embeddings import OpenAIEmbeddings
from langchain.chat_models import ChatOpenAI
vectorstore = FAISS.from_texts(["doc 1...", "doc 2..."], OpenAIEmbeddings())
qa = RetrievalQA.from_chain_type(llm=ChatOpenAI(), retriever=vectorstore.as_retriever())
print(qa.run("What does doc 1 say about transformers?"))

Trust wasn’t about being “smart.” It was about being reliable and transparent.

It’s one thing for me to use my AI tool. It’s another for a team. That’s where I discovered the importance of shared vector databases. Once embeddings lived in a persistent store, multiple people could query the same knowledge base without recomputing everything.

from langchain.vectorstores import Chroma
from langchain.embeddings import OpenAIEmbeddings
db = Chroma(persist_directory="./db", embedding_function=OpenAIEmbeddings())
db.add_texts(["fresh research paper...", "new report..."])
results = db.similarity_search("Key insights on AI ethics?")
for r in results:
    print(r.page_content)

Collaboration meant my tools were no longer “mine” they became shared infrastructure.

At scale, the worst bottleneck wasn’t AI it was me. I couldn’t keep re-running scripts, re-uploading files, or checking logs. So I leaned into automation:

# Every night at 2AM, re-embed new documents
0 2 * * * python update_embeddings.py >> logs.txt 2>&1

That simple cron job gave my system a pulse. Tools stopped being “frozen in time” and started living on their own.

I used to think scaling was about GPUs, throughput, and optimization. But in practice, scaling meant:

• Wrapping fragile scripts into APIs
• Handling messy real-world inputs
• Building in trust and transparency
• Creating shared memory for collaboration
• Automating boring but vital maintenance

The hardest part wasn’t AI. It was making AI usable.

Now that I had systems people could actually rely on, the next frontier became clear: deployment. Hosting, containers, monitoring, and the reality of cost. That’s where my journey naturally moved next.

Part III of this series will cover exactly that: Deploying AI Systems the moment when your tool finally leaves your laptop and has to survive the real world.

If you enjoyed reading, be sure to give it 50 CLAPS! Follow and don’t miss out on any of my future posts subscribe to my profile for must-read blog updates!

Thanks for reading!

From Weekend Hacks to Living AI Systems was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Minimal templating with {{mustaches}} in JavaScript

JavaScript 16.7k Updated Jun 14, 2024

The post Labour Day appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

The post Labour Day appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

In the current competitive real estate market, the appearance of your home when a buyer first walks in the door, or clicks on the listing, can make the difference between how fast and how well your home sells. In the Waterloo Region in particular, where buyer selectiveness is high, the presentation of your home is more important than ever.

Whether you have been asking yourself, “How do I sell my house fast in Kitchener?” or “What is the best way to make my home stand out?” The answer begins with proper staging. It is not about costly makeovers; it is about creating a move-in-ready impression that is welcoming and attractive to most buyers.

Increasingly, sellers are discovering that the assistance of trained professional real estate agents in Waterloo can make a massive difference in the speed and success of the sale. Only professionals know not only what buyers want but also how to position and market a home in a way that will sell it quickly, and in many cases, at a higher price.

This guide will take you through the best tips for staging your home to sell so that you can put your property in the best position to sell in the shortest time possible.

It takes a few seconds for buyers to create an opinion about a home. Their initial impression, whether they are browsing photos online or entering a house to view it, can often determine their subsequent decision-making process. According to the National Association of REALTORS report, “83 percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”

Staging is not only cleaning. It is a targeted approach to show off the best of your home, minimize the worst, and lead the buyer through the process. A well-staged home feels bigger, brighter, and more welcoming, which allows buyers to emotionally attach to the space.

Staging provides you with a much-needed advantage in a market as competitive as Kitchener-Waterloo, where homes are likely to have more than one offer. The reason why one house may languish on the market and another sell within days can be as simple as presentation.

When you are seeking tips to sell your home quickly, begin by looking at your property through the eyes of a buyer and staging it accordingly.

First of all, get rid of clutter. Customers are not only interested in the square footage, but they are also evaluating whether they can imagine themselves living there. Rooms with clutter are smaller and disorganized, and excess personal belongings may make it difficult to envision the space as one’s own.

Store personal photos, memorabilia, and knick-knacks. Put away out-of-season clothes and excess furniture that clutters a room. You want to introduce an area that is open, relaxing, and universally attractive.

It is one of the initial measures that experienced agents would advise their clients to take when they want to sell a home quickly, and it does not cost a dime except your time.

A clean house is not only more appealing; it implies that the property is well-cared-for. Focus on the little things that are usually overlooked, such as baseboards, lighting, grout, and air vents.

Bathroom and kitchen cleanness is not out of the question. Wash everything down, clean off water marks, buff up the hardware, and make mirrors shine. The slightest smell can be a turn-off, so think about scent-neutralizing techniques or professional cleaning services, if needed.

When you want to sell your home fast, it is important to present a clean space. Customers are quick to notice dust, dirt, or neglect, and when they notice it, they may tune out.

Vivid colours and weird designs may be a part of your personality, but they will push away buyers. A new neutral paint (such as soft gray, warm beige, or clean white) will immediately update a room and make it look bigger and brighter.

Replace the flashy or too thematic decor with more contemporary items. Select art and accessories that are warm but not distracting. This makes your property more attractive to a broader market of potential buyers who want to buy a home.

One of the most effective methods of selling your home quickly is neutral staging, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Some clever substitutions can make a world of difference.

Lighting has an enormous influence on the mood and perceived space. During showings, open curtains to allow natural sunlight in, and ensure all light bulbs are in working order and the same colour, preferably warm white, to give a warm but contemporary look.

Mirrors can be used to bounce light into smaller spaces to make them more open. Place floor or table lamps where there is insufficient overhead lighting. Homes that appear dark or dim are not always welcoming, and this can hinder the sale.

You want your buyers to walk in and feel that everything is clean, light, and inviting, which will help sell the home quickly.

The correct placement of furniture can help to make rooms look bigger and more useful. Dispose of unwanted items to prevent congestion and arrange furniture so that it can be moved easily.

For example, pull couches out a bit away from the walls and angle chairs to focal points such as a fireplace or a window. Use area rugs and lighting to define spaces in open-concept designs.

Keep in mind that customers are not purchasing walls; they are buying a lifestyle. Well-defined layouts enable them to see how they will utilize each space once they move in.

Although simplicity is the most important, some warm and friendly details can make it cozy and attractive. New flowers, a bowl of lemons in the kitchen, a well-folded throw blanket, or fashionable accent pillows can add to the atmosphere of the room.

These little details can make a house feel loved and taken care of, which are essential emotional cues when attempting to sell a home fast.

The first thing that buyers will see, whether in person or in listing photos, is the exterior of your home. An unattended front yard or an old-fashioned facade can immediately deter a buyer, even if the interior is in perfect condition.

Cut shrubs, grass, and pull weeds. Give walkways a power wash, repaint the front door if necessary, and replace hardware or lighting to refresh in a hurry. Do not forget about your mailbox, house numbers, and garage door; these are minor spaces that add to the first impression.

When you are in a hurry to sell your house, one of the best and cost-effective ways to do it is to make your exterior look neat and welcoming.

Buyers notice the little things. The door to your closet is sticking, the doorknob is loose, or the baseboards are scuffed; none of these things may appear to be dealbreakers, but they can make a subtle impression that the home is not well-maintained.

Fasten hardware, repair leaky faucets, and paint over where necessary. Change burnt-out bulbs and ensure that all appliances are clean and in working condition.

When your house is ready to move in, buyers will be much more willing to make a move, and with confidence. It is an important tip to remember when you are researchingthebest way to sell your home fast in a competitive market.

Whereas great staging prepares the stage, your real estate agent is the director behind the scenes- making everything work, and your home glows in front of the right audience.

This is how the top real estate agents in Waterloo bring real value when you want to sell your home fast:

• Accurate Pricing Strategy: Pricing your home correctly will appeal to serious buyers and not depreciate the value of your home.
• Professional Staging Resources: Many agents are directly connected with professional stagers, photographers, and cleaners.
• Targeted Marketing: A staged home with effective marketing (social media, MLS, email lists) can result in more showings and quicker offers.
• Psychology of Buyers: Agents know what buyers want in the Waterloo Region and will assist you in staging your property to current trends.
• Time-Saving Coordination: They can coordinate showings, open houses, paperwork, and communication, which allows you to concentrate on getting ahead.

By teaming up with a trusted team such as The Deutschmann Team, you can be assured that your home will enjoy the benefits of both a professional presentation and strategic placement in the market. Our track record is evident as we have assisted many sellers to sell a home in Waterloo, fast, hassle-free, and at the best price.

One of the smartest and economical things you can do to reduce market time and maximize sale price is to stage your home. It is the details that make the difference between buyer perception and ultimately, the decision.

When you are wondering how to sell your home quickly, it is not only about reducing your price or waiting to find the right buyer. It is about staging your house to give the buyers a sense of confidence, welcome, and willingness to make an offer.

And when you add good staging to the expertise and resources of a seasoned real estate team, your odds of a quick, successful sale are even better.

Whether you’re thinking, “How can I sell my house fast in Kitchener?” or looking for “trusted ways to sell my home in Waterloo with confidence”, the professionals at The Deutschmann Team are here to help.

Our practical, client-oriented style has earned us one of the most reliable names among the top realtors in Kitchener-Waterloo. Contact us today.

The post Tips for Staging Your Home to Sell Fast in Waterloo Region appeared first on Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Agent - The Deutschmann Team.

Aquanty is pleased to announce a new partnership with GeoGreen21, a leading engineering and consulting firm in South Korea. The partnership— realized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 24, 2025 at GeoGreen21’s Seoul headquarters— marks a major milestone in expanding the reach of HydroGeoSphere (HGS) in South Korea.

With their strong reputation and national reach, GeoGreen21 is well positioned to bring HydroGeoSphere to the forefront of integrated water modelling in the Korean market. This partnership represents another important step in Aquanty’s global strategy to empower local organizations and communities with powerful, science-driven water modelling tools.

So chlorobenzene is hardly the pesky, younger brother hanging around with the older, faster moving more toxic sibling (NDMA). This is partly how chlorobenzene has been falsely portrayed by Elmira polluters and their fellow travellors.  Other important points include the often repeated phrase "slowly" dissolving chlorobenzene or DNAPL.  Contrary to the inferences by Allan Deal (GHD) chlorobenzene basically does equal DNAPL even though the dissolved in groundwater chlorobenzene plume is no longer DNAPL. However every single droplet of the chlorobenzene contaminant plume came from the original chlorobenzene DNAPL discharged into the natural environment by incompetent, negligent or uncaring corporations. Furthermore the bulk of discharged DNAPL remains as DNAPL in the subsurface while only a tiny part of it over decades to centuries actually slowly dissolves into the groundwater.  This dissolution can also be slowed even more by the extent of other contaminants already dissolved in the groundwater.  Hence the term Effective Solubility refers to the actual solubility of a compound such as chlorobenzene in a mixture of groundwater plus all the other contaminants discharged by Uniroyal Chemical. This Effective Solubility is usually very much smaller than the Lab Solubility of the compound in pure water.

DDT and Dioxins are not insoluble in water. Yes they have a very low solubility but particularly in the case of Dioxins their Ontario Drinking Water Standard is more than a thousand times lower than their solubility in water. 

The issue is both the remaining subsurface DNAPLs both on and off the former Uniroyal site including chlorobenzene and others which are and will continue to slow the remediation of the aquifers as well as the accompanying Dioxin, DDT and other contaminants all mixed in.

TL;DR: It hurts when someone else launches something similar to what you’re building and gets all the attention. But duplication is a natural part of success, especially in small ecosystems. The answer isn’t to stop or pivot. It’s to keep going. Real builders don’t need permission, and real momentum comes from persistence, not recognition. Let others chase the spotlight. You? Just F’n Build.

You’re building something you care about.

You’ve put in the hours. You’ve done the unglamorous work. You’ve watched others come and go while you kept pushing forward. And then it happens, someone else launches something similar, and suddenly they get all the attention.

The press picks it up. People are sharing their posts. They’re on the panel, the podcast, the radar.

And you’re left sitting there thinking, “What just happened?”

It’s disorienting. Frustrating. Maybe even demoralizing. And if you’re not careful, it’s the kind of moment that can throw you off your path.

But the truth is, it’s also a moment every builder eventually faces.

And when it comes, there’s only one real answer:

Keep going.

When something starts to work — when a product, event, or format gains traction — it will attract attention. That attention brings duplication. It’s not personal, it’s just how momentum works.

You see it everywhere. On Amazon, a product takes off and suddenly dozens of similar ones appear. In tech, someone ships an app or tool, and a flood of alternatives follows. Even in communities, hosting one great event, and the following month, five more show up with near-identical names or themes.

At first, it feels like something is being taken from you. But often, the opposite is true.

It’s validation. It means there’s energy around the thing you’re doing. It means others see it too. And while they may be louder or better connected or lucky enough to catch the algorithm at the right moment, none of that erases your work or your momentum.

In fact, it’s a signal:

You’re on to something.

Now keep going.

In large ecosystems, duplication and competition are inherent to the system. No one bats an eye when three people host events on the same night or build products that overlap. The community is big enough to support it.

But in smaller ecosystems, there’s often a desire to coordinate everything. People worry about overlap. About stepping on toes. About looking like they’re competing with someone else.

So things slow down. People start asking for permission. They wait to make sure it’s “okay” to move forward. And that instinct, though well-meaning, often takes the wind out of a community’s sails.

Trying to manage every initiative might feel like collaboration, but often it leads to hesitation. And hesitation kills momentum.

The best ecosystems allow for mess. For overlap. For friction. That’s where creativity and resilience come from. If you’re worried about duplicating someone else’s thing? You’re probably thinking too small. Keep building. The space will expand around you.

When someone launches something similar and gets the glory, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been left behind. But give it a few weeks. A few months.

Most of the people who copy your idea, or who accidentally end up building something close to it, won’t stay with it.

They’ll get bored.

They’ll move on to the next shiny thing.

They’ll fade out when the attention fades.

But if you keep going? If you stay focused on what matters — your product, your community, your craft — you’ll find yourself ahead in the only way that really counts: by still being there.

Real momentum isn’t built in the spotlight.

It’s built in the quiet, persistent effort that happens after the initial excitement fades.

You don’t have to be the first. You don’t have to be the loudest. You don’t need to win the hype cycle.

You just need to outlast it.

That’s the advantage most people forget about. If you care about what you’re building, if you’re in it for something more than a quick win, then time is on your side.

So don’t get distracted by who’s getting the credit today.

Don’t spiral about whether you were early, late, or overlooked.

Stay focused on the work.

Because it adds up. Quietly. Consistently. Compounding.

If you’re feeling frustrated, or invisible, or like someone else is getting all the credit for an idea that feels close to your own, take a breath.

Then keep going.

There’s room for more than one version of a good idea.

There’s room for multiple communities.

There’s room for what you’re building if you keep showing up for it.

You don’t need permission. You don’t need a headline. You need to stay in the game.

So yeah, it might sting.

But it’s not the end.

It’s just the middle.

Just F’n Build.

P.S. If you’re looking for others who get this, people who are quietly building, pushing through the same doubts, and showing up week after week, check out Builders Club. It’s a community of people like you. Not hype-driven. Just focused. Curious. Relentless. You’re welcome to join us.

When Someone Else Gets the Spotlight was originally published in Who You Calling a Jesse? on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Youth Impact Project (YIP) is a collaboration between the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) and Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL). The Youth Impact Project looks to fund youth who are addressing local challenges which are identified through the 2023 Youth Impact Survey results. The funded projects include a focus on supporting youth mental and physical health, increasing feelings of belonging, and responding to climate change and food insecurity.

In 2024, over 100 youth from 15 local organisations pitched their ideas to a panel of nine youth. The Youth Decision-Making Panel (“The Dragons”) decided which projects would receive funding to make their idea a reality. In 2025, CYPT and SWRIL are accepting youth applications online, and a team of three youth are deciding which projects will receive funding.

We’re delighted to announce that the second youth project we’re giving funding to through our Youth Impact Project is the North of Normal! North of Normal is a video series that brings together young people for honest conversations about school, pressure, identity, family, mental health and other important topics.

Inspired by Jubilee Media’s “Middle Ground,” their first episode was a discussion between youth pursuing postsecondary degrees and youth who are not. Upcoming episodes include a “Spectrum” style video about whether it’s easy to be a teen today and another “Middle Ground” episode between retired and Millennial teachers. In addition to support from our Youth Impact Project fund, they’re also supported by Business and Education Partnership of Waterloo Region and Catalyst137.

CYPT and SWRIL are still accepting applications for youth-led projects to get funded. We invite you to apply as soon as possible because we’re evaluating projects on a rolling basis. Visit the following links for more information:

• Learn more about the Youth Impact Project
• Apply for 2025 Youth Impact Project funding

The post 2025 YIP Spotlight: North of Normal appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

This summer, I witnessed something remarkable. My 63-year-old dad, now retired, assembled a light-bulb timer using an old ESP32 basic starter kit and a spare bulb. Then, I helped to crochet a stuffed rose, placing the bulb at its bud. He said it is for me, a blinking light that reminds me when it is bedtime.

It was eye-opening watching him figure out new tech and solve his problem right in his bedroom. He even made one for me to use at the office.

It was in that moment that Dad challenged my perspective on innovation. After all, if my 63-year-old dad can invent solutions, what does that say about me and my excuses?

Dad’s project opened my eyes. Innovation has no age limit.

Here is an encouraging statistic: research from MIT found that the average successful startup founder is around 45 years old, not 21. Innovation is open to everyone, and it draws upon previous experiences.

In his book “How Innovation Works”, Matt Ridley notes that new ideas often arise from combining existing ones. We see that in technologies. Retrieval Augmented Generation is a practical blend of large language models and search engines, and Netflix relies on messaging queues and distributed systems.

Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” Jobs’ calligraphy lessons shaped the elegant typography in the first Macintosh. Creativity arose from combining different life experiences, like design and technology, into something new.

Just as my dad combined an old ESP32 part with a spare bulb and a stuffed rose, innovation often arises from recombining what exists.

When my mum, an Asian auntie, saw this creation, she suggested making a handbag that lights up in the dark so she could feel safer walking at night.

Innovation is for everyone.

In an interview, Neha Narkhede, the co-creator of Kafka, mentioned that she loved building a new solution to a problem. At LinkedIn, Neha and her team struggled with handling the massive flow of real-time data, which led to the creation of Apache Kafka.

Miles Kilburn explores technological integration for on-demand adjustments for a chest binder. This involves software that enables the binder to loosen discreetly at the press of a remote button, removing the need for the wearer to seek a private space. He hopes it can serve as a low-cost, non-permanent alternative to top surgery.

These examples demonstrate how thoughtful design improves daily life for diverse users, not just those traditionally celebrated as innovators.

Most people know Tony Stark, the fictional genius behind Marvel’s high-tech weapons. He is portrayed as a relentless innovator and a billionaire with unlimited resources.

Yet, what struck me the most from Ridley’s book was the reminder that innovation is not exclusive to billionaires with research labs.

Innovation often comes from everyday people, working with limited means but driven by the desire to improve life.

This works because knowledge is non-rival. When one person shares an idea, it does not diminish its value for others. That is why open-source software is a fertile ground for innovation. Platforms like GitHub allow ideas to be remixed and built upon.

Economist Deirdre McCloskey calls this innovationism: the habit of applying new ideas. She credits it for the rise in global living standards. Tim Harford adds that the most influential technologies are often humble and inexpensive.

When you consider it this way, innovation is less about possessing the most resources and more about widespread sharing of creativity. Knowledge creates a free-rider opportunity; every person who builds on an idea adds value without taking anything away.

It is an evolution, not a revolution.

Even when ideas are accessible, they rarely appear fully formed.

Innovation grows by moving into the next “adjacent possible.”

In education, a child cannot leap from kindergarten straight to university. Small mutations are tested in evolution, and only the useful ones survive through the millennia. Innovation follows this pattern: Each stage builds on the one before.

Innovation is the culmination of quick experiments, trial and error, and small improvements that compound over time.

So whether you’re working on a project or a routine, permit yourself to tinker. Try, adjust, and learn. Your future breakthrough rests on the foundation of earlier attempts.

However, this spirit of innovation is not traditionally celebrated inside corporate walls.

Not everyone sees value in this kind of open-ended innovation. In my last appraisal, my boss, Jason, told me, “What you lack is thinking for the customers’ needs”. My experimental projects had little “corporate value”.

His words left me confused. I thought about my prototypes after work, during meals, and even in the showers. The MVP worked, but Jason chose not to fit them into the roadmap. The hours I dedicated to the project were dismissed.

After some research, I realised that Jason’s view was narrow. My projects may not have shown immediate “corporate value”, but they set a foundation for future iterations and development.

Many corporate leaders who climbed the ladder following established paths have little firsthand experience with this messy, trial-and-error work. However, rather than easy dismissals, new corporate value is created through constructive feedback on the initial prototype, highlighting what works and what does not.

That is the thing about corporate life: even senior engineers rarely feel free to play or experiment. As a result, ideas often fail to develop into practical products because of excessive corporate caution. Nokia, which was once a giant mobile company, would spend six to nine months assessing an opportunity. By the time the analysis was complete, the opportunity had disappeared.

Clayton Christensen describes this phenomenon as the innovator’s dilemma: incumbents dismiss disruptive ideas that do not align with their current metrics, only to be disrupted by those same ideas later.

When corporations hesitate, meaningful innovations come from the individuals experimenting on the margins.

“Free innovators” (a term I encountered in Eric von Hippel’s book) are individuals who develop and share ideas without any intent to profit. They often explore areas that companies would otherwise ignore. While they might not trumpet their inventions, they seed the ideas that later catch on widely. Think of how many software tools started as someone’s hobby project on GitHub. This free innovation is hugely meaningful because it expands the frontier of what is possible, whether or not it has obvious “business value” at first.

Innovation happens when people imagine wildly, test boldly, and follow hunches without fear.
Playfulness is an integral part of this process. Innovators who enjoy tinkering and exploring are often the ones who stumble upon the unexpected.

My retired dad now has all the time he wants to learn and explore, and I deeply admire that in him. I do not want to wait until retirement. Despite how busy life can be, I wish to make time to live as he does: curious, learning, and always exploring.

Let’s not measure innovation in dollars, but in human value; in the joy we experience while building and the convenience our creation brings to others. I believe the future is built this way, day by day, by ordinary people like you and me who dare to try something new.

👏 Leave a clap or share a comment! I love to hear your thoughts about innovation.

What My 63-Year-Old Retired Dad Taught Me About Innovation was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On August 20, our Measurement for Change (M4C) task group hosted a recorded info session led by Serena McDiarmid and Silviu Kondan. They shared two different opportunities for organizations to get involved with them this year:

1. All Organizations: The relaunch of M4C’s free 1:1 data collection support using our customizable belonging surveys and associated PowerBI reports. This is being offered at NO COST to CYPT member organizations.
2. Youth-Serving Organizations: An upcoming research project proposal to help map strategies and barriers to building youth belonging in programs, and to develop and test new strategies to support youth belonging in the Region.

M4C is relaunching their 1:1 data collection support for CYPT members. They can help you design and run a tailored survey for your program on belonging and related outcomes. This combines validated measures with additional questions tailored to your own evaluation needs. The M4C team will:

• clarify objectives together with you
• co-develop age-appropriate items
• set up the survey
• produce program-specific visuals and brief(s)

This is being offered at NO COST to CYPT member organizations. To get started, please connect with Silviu or Serena!

Measurement4Change is preparing an application to the federal Partnership Development Grant. If funded, the grant would help us move from belonging measurement to action. Building on the shared measurement work many CYPT members have already participated in, this project will map current practices, identify barriers and co-develop feasible strategies that programs can implement.

We will examine whether these strategies increase a participant’s sense of belonging and whether they support other program goals such as learning, building a skill, or connecting to services. Organizations can engage in two different ways.

Light involvement is a no-commitment option:

• Stay informed through CYPT updates
• If the grant is funded, we invite your staff and youth to short focus group session on what is working now and what to try next
• This path is a good fit if you want to follow the work, contribute ideas and be ready to participate once timelines and activities are confirmed
• You can also share the opportunity with peer organizations that may wish to join

Deeper involvement includes a formal commitment:

• Participate in focus groups and/or pilot strategies that fit your context and to be named as a partner on the grant
• This involves a brief letter of engagement that outlines alignment with your organization’s goals and the in-kind contributions you can offer, such as staff or participant time, access to program space for focus groups or pilots, and feedback on the toolkit and materials
• The M4C team will meet with interested organizations in the next two weeks to discuss your interest and work to co-draft letters of support by September 20.
• If funded, activities begin in Fall 2026, with M4C supporting implementation, data collection consistent with your confidentiality procedures and data reporting that you can use in your own planning and funding applications.

Organizations prepared to have deeper involvement in the application process will strengthen our application. Your letters of support will be an integral part of our application, and we can work with you to help move this forward.

Sign up here if either of these two involvement options interest you.

The post Two upcoming opportunities to increase belonging with Measurement4Change appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

I'm surprised because I know how carefully and forcefully Uniroyal and successor corporations have repeatedly stated that dioxins and DDT are "hydrophobic" and "insoluble". The first may be true but the second is not. Dioxins have a solubility in water close to 20 ng/l  which means 20 parts per trillion. Yes that is a very low solubility but the terminology of "very low solubility" is more accurate than "insoluble".  DDT on the other hand has a low solubility which varying sources suggest is between 5 and 25 ug/l which means 5-25 parts per billion . This solubility of DDT is approximately 1,000 times greater than the solubility in water of dioxin. Of course as per yesterday's posting however, dioxin is much more toxic than both NDMA and DDT.

The reason people give for actually expecting dioxins in our drinking water aquifers is one of common sense. Everyone knows that Uniroyal Chemical produced Agent Orange for the U.S. military and that dioxins were an unintended by-product of them. Also everyone knows that Uniroyal Chemical dumped or buried hundreds of tonnes  of toxic wastes in, on and under their property in Elmira.  Obviously these same folks either don't believe the lies of the polluter that dioxins and DDT couldn't get into our drinking water aquifers or they don't care or know what the claims are. For them if you have a huge buried mess right there then of course between wind, rain and groundwater toxic things will migrate. 

It gets worse of course in regards to mobility of these truly nasty compounds. There are many more mechanisms available some of which will be shared in upcoming days. Those mechanisms are why human beings around the globe are carrying a body burden of dioxins and more. Some humans are more susceptible to damage from them than others. The list of heath effects are absolutely horrendous. Thank you very much Uniroyal for providing jobs to this community. You made large amounts of money in exchange plus you left your poisons behind.  Next time take the poisons with you and choke on them.

♦

UPDATE: baguettes now baked on-site daily …

I’m browsing the displays of specialty foods at Fromagerie des Trois Rapides (FTR) on County Road 17 in Hawkesbury waiting for owner Alain Ménard to transit from his other business, The Green Beaver, a few minutes away.

The well-established Green Beaver brand, which he started with his wife 23 years ago, sells personal care products such as aluminum-free deodorant, toothpaste and sunscreen found in health-food stores, grocery stores and at pharmacies.

It’s a business model and a customer reach that Ménard would like to eventually replicate for FTR where the unique condiments, foie gras, chocolate, and spreads and preserves I survey are the foreground to the main event at the business, an “affinage” room where the cheeses quietly sit.

Affinage is a key period of time during which cheeses mature and age – and thereby gain their distinctive flavours, aromas and textures.

“A lot of fresh cheese doesn’t really taste like much. It’s only after aging that it does,” says Ménard.

I happen to consider cheese one of my personal care products: it’s a regular purchase for me and satisfies both body and soul. The savoury morsel is what American literary critic Clifton Fadiman called “milk’s leap toward immortality.”

Cheese is, in fact, “alive” as it changes and evolves: making a high-quality soft, semi-soft or hard cheese requires controlling and shaping live microscopic organisms in their environment.

Ménard is a subject-matter expert when it comes to microbes and uniquely suited to understanding how they play a role in cheese-making having graduated with a degree in microbiology from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University.

“I took a lot of food microbiology courses because as an 18-year-old I guess I was interested in fermenting stuff,” Ménard says with a smile. “When you talk about food microbiology, it’s when you use bacteria and yeast to make food. I learned the basics of making cheese.”

For more, visit EAP.

Check out my latest post Fromagerie des Trois Rapides from AndrewCoppolino.com.

♦

♦Cambridge Fall Fair
Thursday Sept 4 to Sunday Sept 7
Various Times
$0 – $15
Dickson Park – 30 Parkhill Rd. Cambridge

Get ready for the ultimate autumn celebration at Cambridge Fall Fair 2025 – a fun-filled event with rides, games, food, and more! Crash into the Demolition Derby on Friday evening rock out with AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who on Saturday evening. The marketplace inside Dickson Centre will be filled with vendors, crafts and displays. Admission is free on Thursday and Sunday. Day passes for Friday cost $15. Parking is free on Thursday and Sunday and will be $5 on Friday and Saturday. You can get a special pass if you purchase online ahead of time for $30 that lets covers your admission both Friday and Saturday and gives you unlimited rides on all of the carnival rides.

Click here for more info

♦Labour Day Picnic
Monday, Sept 1
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
FREE Admission
Waterloo Park Pavilion – 90 Westmount Rd. N Waterloo

Join the Waterloo Regional Labour Council for the Ed Weidinger Memorial Labour Day Picnic. The event will be a celebration of workers, families, and community, taking place at Waterloo Park near the Westmount Road entrance. The picnic will feature food, drinks, live music, carnival games, face painting, and balloon artists. All items will be sold for $1, with proceeds going to the United Way Waterloo Region Communities.

Click here for more info

♦Endless Summer
Saturday, Sept 6
1:00 PM – 10:30 PM
FREE
Victoria Park Kitchener

Entry to the festival grounds will be near the intersection of Jubilee Drive and David Street, and Jubilee Drive and Water Street. No outside food or drinks are allowed within the festival grounds, but empty water bottles are permitted. A water station is available to refill water bottles. Bring a picnic blanket or folding chair instead of standing and relax while you listen to the tunes!

Click here for more info

♦♦ ♦

Adult Craft Night
Registration opens Tuesday, Sept 2 at 9:00 AM
Thursday, Sept 23
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
FREE – Registration Required
Forest Heights Library – 251 Fischer-Hallman Rd. Kitchener♦

Craft on! Tap into your inner child and creative side with a low-key evening of crafts and socializing. We provide the materials, you bring the creativity. Make sure you register right away on Tuesday, September 2 as spots are limited!

Click here for more info

Learn to Crochet
Registration opens Tuesday, Sept 2 at 7:00 PM
Monday, Sept 22, 29 and Oct 6
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FREE – Registration Required
John M. Harper Library – 500 Fischer-Hallman Rd. N, Waterloo

Learn to crochet in this beginner-friendly program—no experience needed! Each week, you’ll build your skills by exploring new steps and stitches. All materials are provided, so you can simply show up and start creating. This is a popular three-week series so make sure you register right away on Tuesday, September 2 as spots are limited!

Click here for more info

Comedy Show – Together We’re Boistrous
Saturday, Sept 6
7:00 PM
$11 to $33
TWB Brewing Co. – 300 Mill St. Kitchener

After a summer hiatus, Pinch Cabaret is back with a night of Improv, Stand-Up, and Sketch Comedy that you won’t want to miss! Enjoy a beverage or some snacks from TWB Brewing Co. while you laugh it up! Tickets have been made at three pricing tiers so that the show is affordable for a wider audience range.

Click here for more info

Neighbourhood Nights BBQ and Movie
Saturday, Sept 6
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
FREE
Kingsdale Community Centre – 72 Wilson Ave. Kitchener

Join us for a Kingsdale community BBQ and family-friendly movie night. Neighbourhood Nights will feature an evening of fun, a delicious BBQ, and a movie. We will be showing “How to Train Your Dragon” at 8 p.m. Connect with neighbours, meet the Kingsdale Community Centre Advisory Committee (KCCAC) and celebrate all that makes our neighbourhood strong. Grab some food, enjoy the show – where neighbours meet and friendships grow!

Click here for more info

MELA 2025
Sunday, Sept 7
11:30 AM – 6:00 PM
FREE
Kitchener City Hall – 200 King St. W, Kitchener

The India Canada Association of Waterloo Region is hosting its annual festival called Mela 2025. Mela is a word that means “festival” in Sansckrit which is a language from India. Come and learn about the Indian culture through performances, music and dance. Taste authentic Indian flavours and experience the unique seasonings and spices of Indian food. They will be weaving culture and community throughout this celebration!

Click here for more info

♦

♦Stanley Park Eats
Wednesdays
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
FREE
Stanley Park Community Centre – 500 Franklin St. N, Kitchener

Stanley Park Eats is battling food insecurities with its volunteer run program at Stanley Park Community Centre every Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Anyone can head into the community centre gym and register to participate. Once you are registered, you can fill up your bags with bread from the Cob’s Bread’s End of Day Giving Program. Head around the corner and you will see the Food Bank Truck with some grocery items you can grab. Finish off your visit with some lunch from the takeout shed paired with smile from the friendly volunteers there.

Having access to food is a basic human right and a nutritious meal is essential for a person’s overall health and wellbeing. No one should ever have to worry about when they will get their next meal, yet food insecurities have become a reality for more and more people. Stanley Park Eats is a community-led initiative made successful by both donations and the help of volunteers. Volunteers are needed to prepare food on Tuesday mornings, and package and distribute meals to participants on Wednesday mornings. You can get more information about volunteering at Stanley Park Eats here. Don’t just take my word for it, come check out the Stanley Park Eats program this Wednesday for yourself!

Click here for more info

The post August 27, 2025: What’s Happening in Your Neighbourhood? appeared first on KW Habilitation.